1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disposable seal driver and kit for driving in vehicle shaft seals into a bore or cavity in housing surrounding a vehicle shaft, such as found on trucks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore various devices for installing vehicle shaft seals around a vehicle shaft in a bore or cavity in a housing for the shaft seal have been proposed. Examples of previously proposed analogous and non-analogous shaft seal installation kits and devices are disclosed in the following analogous and non-analogous U.S. patents listed below:
The Evans, Jr. U.S. Pat. No. 1,069,539 discloses a device for expanding an undulated ring by applying pressure against the undulated ring and moving it downwardly over a frusto-conical portion of an anvil, thereby to expand the ring. The ring is pressed downwardly by a bell-shaped follower by rotating a screw thread shaft.
The Thill U.S. Pat. No. 2,998,644 discloses a seal driver having an elongate shaft fixed to a plate mounting a ring-shaped molded plastic adaptor member which is adapted to seat against a seal for driving the seal into a cavity and onto a seat.
The non-analogous Johnson U.S. Pat. No. 2,851,769 discloses a pliers-like grease cap assembly for mounting a generally cup-shaped grease cap over a wheel bearing hub.
The Okamuro U.S. Pat. No. 4,515,376 discloses a seal installation device including a first generally cylindrical handle part and a second generally cylindrical handle. part, the first part being hollow and reciprocally receiving the second handle part. A seal is first placed onto the outside of the first handle part and the two handle parts are moved for placement of the seal into a counterbore.
The Rodolf U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,228 discloses a tool kit for installing transmission seals which includes a composite driver having an elongate base and a separate adapter. The adapter is generally hat-shaped and is adapted to mount a seal thereon and the elongate base portion has a socket for engaging one of a plurality of adapters mounting a seal and is adapted to provide a driver which can be hit with a hammer for driving the seal on the adapter into a hole for receiving the seal.
The Lansdale U.S. Pat. No. 5,013,050 discloses a disposable seal installation tool having a head capable of being hit with a hammer or mallet, an annular flange and a cylindrical support area for mounting a seal to be pounded into a bore.
The Curtis U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,695 discloses a seal installation tool having the same general shape of the tool disclosed in the Lansdale U.S. Pat. No. 5,013,050 including a head, an annular flange and a cylindrical portion having a cylindrical surface on which a shaft seal is demountably mounted.
According to the present invention, there is provided a disposable seal driver for driving in a hub oil seal into a cavity or counterbore for receiving same. The seal driver comprises a metal cup-shaped member having a top flat wall, an intermediate frusto-conical wall and a lower cylindrical skirt having a circular bottom drive edge. The seal driver can be part of a seal driver kit also including a short piece of wood.